I would like to thank everyone who attended last month’s Summer Academy Meeting! I hope you took advantage of the many outstanding education sessions and other professional development and networking opportunities, and had a chance to stop by the various exhibits. Among the many exciting activities offered, this year’s Summer Academy Meeting boasted 8 Leadership Institute sessions designed to address leadership competencies specific to dermatologists; 4 self-assessment sessions to assist members in meeting Part 2 of their Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements; and a half-day international joint session of presentations from AAD and EADV members. As you know, the development of the Leadership Institute and continuing development of self-assessment and other educational delivery innovations are supported in part by Sustaining Fund donations.

Summer Academy Meeting also gave us another opportunity to show our thanks to our host city and to further extend our sun safety message. The Academy awarded an $8,000 grant to the City of New York Parks and Recreation to erect a shade structure as a part of our Dermatology in Action program. The shade structure is still being built; we’ll share a photo with you in a future issue of Philanthrop-e, so you can see your support come to life!

Thank you all for helping to make Summer Academy Meeting a success in so many ways!

C. William Hanke, MD, FAAD
Chair, Development Committee

Givers' guide tip:
Each shade structure grant is $9,500. By giving to the AAD shade structure program, you can help a community build theirs! Contact us to learn more about shade structure naming opportunities.

Why I give to the Sustaining Fund

“I am so pleased to be able to contribute to the AAD shade structure program. This program not only protects our children during playtime but also promotes awareness and good lifestyle choices in our communities.”
Suzanne Olbricht, MD, FAAD

“I give because I care about patients even when they’re not in my office...” Tracy D. Kuykendall, MD, FAAD

“It's so important to give back and to support our Academy and the specialty we’ve chosen as our career.”Peter A. Lio, MD, FAAD

“I have seen firsthand what these contributions do for our patients.”
Ryan S. Owsley, MD, FAAD

AAD members, keep an eye out for your 2012 membership renewal statements! You will be receiving them this fall. Remember, you can make your 2012 Sustaining Fund donation when you pay your dues, whether by mail or online.

Hot off the press!

The 2012 Leaders in Giving Partnering Opportunities booklet is now available! We’ve added some very exciting opportunities for support ranging from $2,000 and up.

A sampling of new opportunities includes international scholarships for young dermatologists from outside the U.S. and Canada to attend the Annual Meeting; Global Networking Center; Essentials in Medical Dermatology, a brand new program for residents; and several opportunities to support the Leadership Institute.

AAD member Kathleen B. Herne, MD, FAAD asked her wedding guests to make donations to AAD Camp Discovery in lieu of gifts.

“My husband Rhett Fisher and I have been incredibly blessed and wished to extend those blessings to others. It was a natural extension of my profession to choose Camp Discovery as a way for our wedding guests to honor our nuptials. I have a nephew with Epidermolysis Bullosa, and we are thrilled there is an outlet for him to bond with other children with skin disorders at Camp Discovery.”

The Academy’s Tribute Program allows you to support AAD philanthropic programs by honoring or remembering someone special. These gifts are a meaningful way to show you care. In memoriam donations ensure the person’s memory will live on with the continuation of vital AAD philanthropic programs.

You can also recognize your mentor by giving them a gold star! Mentors play an important role in our lives, and this is one way to honor them. When you give a gift through the Star Pin Project, your mentor receives a star pin to wear year-round, and your gift provides important support for the Leadership Institute.

The Academy’s leadership has visited a number of Corporate Partners this year to gain a better mutual understanding of our respective strategic initiatives, issues faced, and to thank them personally for their support. The feedback we have received from the companies we have met with to date has been uniformly positive.

David M. Pariser, MD, FAAD, Chair of the Corporate Relations Task Force says, “Our visits have given us better insight into each company’s business, and we appreciate the willingness of our Corporate Partners to sit down with us and discuss our mutual interest to serve the dermatology community and improve patient outcomes.”

In addition to meeting with companies at their corporate headquarters, Dr. Pariser and other AAD leaders also visited with Corporate Partners at their exhibitor booths during the recent Summer Academy Meeting.